By Kent Allyn

We watched the weather anxiously in the days leading up to our ride – iffy weather on the day, deluge the next day.   We lucked out – the rain held off until evening and we had a partly cloudy/partly sunny day in the low 60s with a southerly wind.

 Taking a left @ 7:30 from the parking lot of the future home of Footprints, 72 Shapleigh Road, we pedaled our way past the Navy Yard, through the construction on 103 and continued down east to York.   Right on 1A thru York Harbor, the beaches, Shore Road, joining Rt. 1 in Ogunquit, Moody, Wells, right on 9 to K’Port, past the mighty and majestic Spirit of Massachusetts, a 125’ Fredonia style schooner built at the Charlestown Naval Shipyard in 1984.   She served as a goodwill ambassador for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and sailed the globe as an educational vessel (now a floating restaurant, soon to be craned out and installed on land).  

 Through the port, left on 9 and soon, our halfway stop -- coffee and muffins provided by the friendly folks at the Cape Porpoise Kitchen – continuing on Rt 9 to Biddeford.   We rode through town until we saw signs for the Eastern Trail – the beautifully maintained hard pack gravel rail bed -- we cruised through peak foliage for miles -- people walking dogs, other riders.  At last, one of the highlights of the trip -- riding across Scarborough Marsh watching the incoming tide, gorgeous.   More Eastern Trail merging into the Greenbelt Walkway which brought us in through neighborhoods on smooth sidewalks to Bug Light.   We were greeted with the sight of a 1912 John Alden schooner, the 88’ Wendameen, taking passengers out for the afternoon.  

 Our support crew, Gen’s brother Carl, was there with his pickup to bring Gen and Doug and Steve back home.   My sister, Lynn, came down from Gray to deliver me back to Kittery.

 65 miles in 5 hours.    If we subtract the half hour stopover at Cape Porpoise, we averaged 14 mph.   The tailwind made it feel like a magic carpet ride.   As Doug said after a particularly satisfying run from Ogunquit to Wells, “those were free miles.” 

 Once again, thank you for your support in donating to Footprints Food Pantry and our big adventure out on the open road.   Onward to 2023!

Scarborough Marsh

By Genevieve Aichele

Copper, crimson leaves

Bike and breath the only sound

Grey sky, still water

Addendum from Jim White:

 I am so proud of our small but mighty bike group.  Three years in a row we’ve ridden from Kittery/York to Bug Light in South Portland and raised thousands of dollars for Footprints Food Pantry. 

This year’s ride was not so good for me.  With a shoulder injury I joined the gang and began the ride.  I knew it was going to be tough, but I’ve never quit anything in my life.  Twelve miles into it my shoulder, from the left side of my face to my hand, was numb and tingling like when you whack your elbow. I quit, fearing I would only exacerbate the injury if I continued, but after a few minutes I decided to try to catch the group and complete the ride.  I made it to Ogunquit, never caught up and decided to hang it up.

It’s not over.  Wednesday I will see a chiropractor, have X-rays, determine what the issue is, have the shoulder fixed, take the bike to the point where I stopped and complete the ride.  Stay tuned and continue to donate to Footprints.  The ride is not over.